WEC: Thoughts about Jewelry — Love Tokens

Love Tokens are real coins which have been altered by engraving. While craftsmen in every country have altered coins, the most collectible love tokens are from Great Britain, the United States and Canada. My focus is primarily on U.S. love tokens and all of the examples shown here are American. The first love tokens appeared in the U.S. in the mid-1800s, just before the Civil War. At that time in American history there was a shortage of pennies, so love tokens were usually made from dimes, the most plentiful and available coin. Nickels, though half the cost, were too hard to engrave. Compare the...